Sandra Woodley

Sandra Woodley

‌

Dr. Sandra K. Woodley is President of the University of Louisiana System, one of the largest public university systems in the country and the largest in the state, enrolling about 90,000 students with more than 16,000 graduates each year.

Prior to coming to Louisiana, Woodley served as the Vice Chancellor in charge of strategy, performance and policy research for the University of Texas System. She also previously served as chief financial officer and strategic planner in the three higher education systems in Arizona, Kentucky and Alabama.

A role model for non-traditional students, Woodley completed her education while working and raising three children. She started out in the community college system before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Auburn University and a doctorate in Business Administration and Management from Nova Southeastern University.

During her first two years as UL System President, Dr. Woodley conducted three presidential searches; led a statewide peer analysis project; developed and implemented the system’s first interactive data dashboard to enhance transparency and strategic planning; explored ways to use technology and social media to connect students and employers; and negotiated a collaborative strategy that stabilized higher education funding for the first time in six years with a new $40 million strategic investment in higher education called the Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy (WISE) Fund.

She holds several national leadership positions including serving on the Board of Directors of the National Association of System Heads (NASH), participating in the Council of State Representatives for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Her statewide affiliations include the Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy Council, the Louisiana Innovation Council, and the Committee of 100.

Woodley is a native of Weaver, Alabama, and is married to Stan Woodley. She has three grown children and one grandchild.